This episode begins a series of conversations with winners of the Gold Foundation's Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest. Mason Blacker, who won first place for medical students in the 2022 contest, reads his winning essay, "The Light." That reading is followed by a conversation with Mason and Gold Foundation Editor in Chief Brianne Alcala, exploring the writing process. Mason is a medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Extra thanks to AAMC and the Academic Medicine podcast for sharing Mason's reading of his essay. All winning Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest are published in both Academic Medicine and the Journal of Professional Nursing.  Dr. Hope Babette Tang-Goodwin, the namesake of our essay contest, was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, whose devotion to the care of the children and infants with HIV infection in New York City was an inspiration to her colleagues and her students. Her approach to medicine combined a boundless enthusiasm for her work, intellectual rigor, and deep compassion for her patients. In sum, Dr. Tang-Goodwin was an exemplar of excellent, compassionate, and respectful patient care. The Gold Connection is produced by the Gold Humanism Honor Society, a program of The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, a nonprofit that champions humanism in healthcare. On this podcast, we share stories of humanism in action, as well as tools and lessons for students, clinicians, and leaders.